Australia inundated with record number of working holidaymakers

Recent visa changes have sent the number of working holiday makers in Australia to an all-time high with British backpackers leading the charge.

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00:00Working holiday makers are back in a big way.

00:06It's amazing, coming here, obviously beautiful beaches, beautiful places.

00:12It took me at least three weeks to meet someone who was actually Australian.

00:15206,000 called Australia home by December, a record haul.

00:21And almost a quarter of those arrivals are from the United Kingdom.

00:25Are we going to Venezuela?

00:27The break in arrivals has been boosted by concessions negotiated several years ago

00:32in a free trade agreement with the UK, which came into effect in July.

00:37As a Brit, coming over and knowing that you don't have to do that rural farm work,

00:41so the 88 days in order to extend your visa for the second year,

00:45I think it allows people to work more in their comfort zone.

00:50Now Brits can also stay longer and be older, 35 instead of the previous age limit of 30.

00:57I think it is encouraging a lot more of us to come over.

00:59But it's not welcome news for all, particularly beyond the holiday hotspots.

01:04We would not like to see this replicated to other nations

01:07and we do need to have an incentive put in place to ensure that we are getting that workforce

01:13that's vitally required during either those peak harvest periods or filling those service jobs.

01:18We've seen a hierarchy created in the Working Holidaymaker program

01:22whereby nationals, applicants from the UK, have one set of rules that allows them to work anywhere.

01:30Migration experts say the record number of working travellers puts pressure on annual migration targets

01:37at a time when Australia is trying to reduce arrivals.

01:41Many businesses say Working Holidaymakers, who now come from 50 countries, are vital to their operations.

01:48Like this hotel at Byron Bay, where they make up 40% of staff.

01:53Now that there's more in the country and more available, then you can pick and choose a little bit more

01:59and subsequently find people that are more suited to your establishment.

02:03A temporary workforce in major demand.

02:11Working Holidaymaker